{"id":1392,"date":"2021-02-13T19:40:42","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T19:40:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=1392"},"modified":"2021-02-13T19:40:42","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T19:40:42","slug":"transfiguration-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/13\/transfiguration-sunday\/","title":{"rendered":"Transfiguration Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1397\"\/><figcaption>Raphael, detail of The Transfiguration, 1516-20, Vatican Museums.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Dave, Victoria, and Heather!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cOur Father in Heaven\u201d (Nixon)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Prelude-Our-Father-in-Heaven-_-Matthew-6_9-13-music-by-Darryl-Nixon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and wonder, <br \/> we are awestruck by the glory of your presence.<br \/> We rejoice at what we can see;<br \/> we marvel at what we cannot see.<br \/> You dazzle us with your brightness;<br \/> you overshadow us as with a great cloud.<br \/> Loving, protecting, challenging, nurturing, <br \/> you strengthen and transform us.<br \/> May we may love and serve you, <br \/> in all that we are and do.<br \/> Glory be to you.  Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cFairest Lord Jesus\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-341-Fairest-Lord-Jesus.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,<br \/> O thou of God to earth come down:<br \/> thee will I cherish, thee will I honour,<br \/> thou my soul&#8217;s glory, joy, and crown.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,<br \/> robed in the blooming garb of spring;<br \/> Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,<br \/> who makes the troubled heart to sing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,<br \/> and fair the twinkling, starry host;<br \/> Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer<br \/> than all the angels heaven can boast.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>All fairest beauty heavenly and earthly,<br \/> wondrously, Jesus, is found in thee;<br \/> none can be nearer, fairer or dearer<br \/> than thou, my Saviour, art to me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of Transfiguration, <br \/>\nyou meet us in the ordinary<br \/>\nas well as the extraordinary moments of life.<br \/>\nWe seek you in the valleys<br \/>\nand on the mountaintops.<br \/>\nYet we admit that too often <br \/>\nour eyes are closed to your presence,<br \/>\ntoo often our ears are plugged to your call.<br \/>\nWhen you reach out to us<br \/>\nthrough the cries of the hungry and homeless,<br \/>\ntoo often our hearts shrink from your touch.<br \/>\nForgive us, we pray<br \/>\nand set us free to love and serve.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>ASSURANCE OF PARDON<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God will give us what we need:<br \/> strength for today,<br \/> hope for tomorrow,<br \/> and forgiveness<br \/> for all that is past.<br \/> Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>SPECIAL MUSIC: \u201cYou Don&#8217;t Count the Cost\u201d (Shapiro\/Waters)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/You-Don\u2019t-Count-the-cost-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 50<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God, the Almighty, has spoken;<br \/>     <strong>and summoned the world<br \/>     from the rising of the sun to its setting.<\/strong><br \/> God shines out from Zion, a city perfect in beauty.<br \/>     <strong>Our God appears, and will not keep silence.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Before you, God, runs a consuming fire,<br \/> and a mighty tempest rages about you.<br \/>     <strong>You call on the heavens above,<br \/>     and on the earth below,<br \/>     to witness the judgement of your people:<\/strong><br \/> &#8216;Gather my people before me,<br \/> the people who made covenant with me by sacrifice.&#8217;<br \/>     <strong>The heavens proclaim your justice,<br \/>     for you yourself are judge.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: 2 Kings 2.1-12<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2kings2reading-victoria.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, \u201cStay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>But Elisha said, \u201cAs surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.\u201d So they went down to Bethel.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, \u201cDo you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, I know,\u201d Elisha replied, \u201cso be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>4 Then Elijah said to him, \u201cStay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>And he replied, \u201cAs surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.\u201d So they went to Jericho.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, \u201cDo you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, I know,\u201d he replied, \u201cso be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>6 Then Elijah said to him, \u201cStay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>And he replied, \u201cAs surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.\u201d So the two of them walked on.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, \u201cTell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet me inherit a double portion of your spirit,\u201d Elisha replied.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>10 \u201cYou have asked a difficult thing,\u201d Elijah said, \u201cyet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours\u2014otherwise, it will not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, \u201cMy father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!\u201d And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1400\"\/><figcaption>Francesco Curia, The Transfiguration, late 16th century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cWe have come at Christ&#8217;s own bidding\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-104-We-Have-Come-at-Christ\u2019s-Own-Bidding.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>We have come at Christ&#8217;s own bidding<br \/>     to this high and holy place,<br \/> where we wait with hope and longing<br \/>     for some token of God&#8217;s grace.<br \/> Here we pray for new assurance<br \/>     that our faith is not in vain,<br \/> searching like those first disciples<br \/>     for a sign both clear and plain.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Light breaks in upon our darkness;<br \/>     splendour bathes the flesh-joined Word;<br \/> Moses and Elijah marvel<br \/>     as the heavenly voice is heard.<br \/> Eyes and hearts behold with wonder<br \/>     how the Law and Prophets meet:<br \/> Christ, with garments drenched in brightness,<br \/>     stands transfigured and complete.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Strengthened by this glimpse of glory,<br \/>     fearful lest our faith decline,<br \/> we like Peter find it tempting<br \/>     to remain and build a shrine.<br \/> But true worship gives us courage<br \/>     to proclaim what we profess,<br \/> that our daily lives may prove us<br \/>     people of the God we bless.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>REFLECTION<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/feb14sermon.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>You know about TLC and PDA, but do you know about BPR?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In case you\u2019re not up on acronyms vaguely related to Valentine\u2019s Day, the first two are \u201ctender loving care\u201d and \u201cpublic displays of affection.\u201d  We all need a little of the first, and we can probably live without the second.  But what\u2019s BPR, and how did it get on our list?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>BPR stands for \u201cbenign positive regard,\u201d a phrase first coined by researchers looking at religious attitudes among teens.  Conventional wisdom suggests that when young people drift away from religious practice, it\u2019s likely a case of teenage rebellion, doing the opposite of whatever their parents are doing.  What they found instead is that teenager\u2019s attitudes toward religion actually mirrors what the parents are doing\u2014in this case, benign positive regard.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So what is BPR?  Let\u2019s just say that if your sweetheart sends you a card professing benign positive regard, he\u2019s just not that into you.  Benign positive regard is how most people feel about\u2014say\u2014post-it notes: helpful, even clever, but few people write poems about post-it notes.  Maybe a haiku.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Post-it in my book<br \/> Marks the page I am reading<br \/> So helpful I guess<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>The puzzle with benign positive regard among religious people of all ages is the extent to which it\u2019s at odds with the faith itself.  The story of God is a story of passionate love, creating us out of dust and placing us among the wonders of creation.  Liberating us in times of peril, saving us from ourselves, entering the world to walk beside us, even dying to free us from the power of death.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Kendra Dean, the researcher who popularized benign positive regard, wants us to think instead about passion.  She argues that our faith should act as an external authority in our lives, it should make compelling claims on our time and attention, it should challenge us to grow in ways we might not want to grow.  Listen as Dr. Dean makes her case:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Passion is the truest love there is, a love worthy of sacrifice, a love so rare, so life-changing that it is the stuff of legends.  It is Jack and Rose in Titanic.  It is Mufasa and Simba in The Lion King.  It is Sam and Frodo in Lord of the Rings.  Passion is \u201cto die for.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>If she was writing on Transfiguration Sunday, I expect she would add Elijah and Elisha.  And then maybe Ruth and Naomi, because their love is the same:  <\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind\u2026Elijah said to Elisha, \u201cStay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.\u201d  But Elisha said, \u201cAs surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.\u201d So they went down to Bethel.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Oddly, we learn very little about Elisha before this episode.  God appoints him as Elijah\u2019s successor, Elijah retrieves the lad and \u201cadopts\u201d him, and then Elijah\u2019s larger-than-life ministry continues with Elisha in the background.  But today\u2019s passage, recounting Elijah\u2019s last moments on this earth, we learn everything we need to know about their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Like Ruth\u2019s famous \u201cWhere you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay,\u201d Elisha pledges that he will not leave Elijah\u2019s side.  Each time he is confronted with the inevitable, we get the same reaction: \u201cYes, I know, so be quiet.\u201d  Can you hear the translator\u2019s dilemma, trying to find a polite way to say \u201cshut-up\u201d?  Poor Elisha, set to lose the one he loves.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>No doubt seeing the toll that this is taking on Elisha, Elijah asks, \u201cTell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?\u201d  At this moment Elisha asks the seemingly impossible\u2014a double-portion of Elijah\u2019s spirit.  You wonder if asking the seemingly impossible is a way to delay his departure, or create a rift that may make it easier to part, but Elijah says \u201cwe\u2019ll see\u2026if you see me depart, it will be yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Elisha does see him depart, in a chariot of fire no less, and gains that double-portion that will be important for Elisha going forward.  The chariot ascends, Elisha cries out, and tears his cloak in grief.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>We share this passage on Transfiguration Sunday because it gives some of the background for the event itself.  Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up the mountain, where he is transformed, transfigured in a blaze of light, flanked to the left and to the right by Moses and Elijah.  God speaks, blessing Jesus as he approaches his passion, and the scene ends.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Generally, we read the Elijah story today because he is mentioned in the passage.  And that might be reason enough, except that is a parallel here to the mantle being passed, with three of the twelve witnesses to the glory that Jesus will soon experience.  The light, the blessing, the company\u2014 all point to Jesus\u2019 return to God.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>There is, however, one more element to the transfiguration worth noting: the symbolism of the figures, one on the right and one on the left.  Moses is the liberator, the first and most powerful prophet, who used God\u2019s might to free his people.  Elijah is also a prophet, but even more, since he represents the passionate activity of God in the world: raising the dead, calling down fire to defeat the priests of Baal, riding a chariot of fire to eternity.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Jesus, then, is both Moses and Elijah.  Like Moses, he is our liberator, freeing us from sin and sorrow, and defeating death itself so that we might be free.  And like Elijah, Jesus is God\u2019s passionate presence in the world, raising the dead, defeating the forces of despair, and returning to God in glory.  Today is dedicated to freedom and passion, and a world transformed.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>You may have noticed that there are very few Transfiguration Sunday hymns, an enduring mystery, except perhaps that it\u2019s hard to describe in verse something so unusual.  Likewise, there are few hymns to describe Elijah and his chariot of fire, with one notable exception: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Written by Wallis Willis around the time of the American Civil War, it describes the hope of being carried home, with a band of angels and a sweet chariot sent for the task.  And as with many African-American spirituals of this era, there is often a hidden message, encouraging those enslaved to escape, even giving coded directions.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In the case of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, some have suggested that we\u2019ve received a \u201cpublic\u201d version of the song, when the private (coded) version may have been sung \u201cswing low, sweet Harriet,\u201d for Harriet Tubman.  Harriet Tubman escaped slavery, but then returned to the south to lead others to freedom.  During at least 13 missions she led over 70 people to freedom, earning the nickname Moses.  Soon, she will claim her rightful place on the US $20 bill.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Passionate love, and a desire for freedom, these are the hallmarks of Transfiguration.  This is the opposite of BPR. Allowing our faith to direct us in ways larger than ourselves, giving time and attention to our passion, and growing in love\u2014for God and each other\u2014these are the marks of new life in Christ.  May God bless us and surround us with enduring love, Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-7-1024x676.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1398\"\/><figcaption>Jo\u00e3o Candido Portinari, The Transfiguration, 1952, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brasil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Help us, God, to see <br \/>\nlight in the shadow<br \/>\nglory in the moment<br \/>\nand Christ\u2019s presence in our midst!<br \/>\nOpen our eyes,<br \/>\nthat the present have new meaning,<br \/>\nand the future be bright with hope.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Humbly, we bow your heads before the One<br \/>\nwho is our wisdom and our strength.<br \/>\nWe place ourselves before God,<br \/>\nwho is judge and hope.<br \/>\nWe place ourselves beside Christ,<br \/>\nwho reigns in glory.<br \/>\nWe live by the power of God\u2019s spirit,<br \/>\nand the renewing power of love.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>As Jesus was transformed on the mountaintop,<br \/>\ntransform us:<br \/>\nto live with love and mercy,<br \/>\nto love with gentle hearts,<br \/>\nto see the need that surrounds us,<br \/>\nto feel the pain others feel.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Give us the words we need to comfort others,<br \/> and the grace to accept comfort too.<br \/> Give us the strength to move forward,<br \/> and the courage to meet each day.<br \/> Give us hope for tomorrow,<br \/> and perspective on all that is past.<br \/> Give us light in the midst of darkness,<br \/> and grace in the midst of trouble. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>THE LORD\u2019S PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Our Father who art in heaven,<br \/>\nhallowed be thy name.<br \/>\nThy kingdom come,<br \/>\nThy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<br \/>\nGive us this day our daily bread;<br \/>\nand forgive us our trespasses<br \/>\nas we forgive those who trespass against us;<br \/>\nand lead us not into temptation<br \/>\nbut deliver us from evil.<br \/>\nFor thine is the kingdom,<br \/>\nand the power, and the glory,<br \/>\nfor ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cGuide me, O thou great Jehovah\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-651-Guide-Me-O-Thou-Great-Jehovah.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,<br \/>     pilgrim through this barren land.<br \/> I am weak, but thou art mighty,<br \/>     hold me with thy powerful hand.<br \/> Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,<br \/>     feed me till I want no more,<br \/>     feed me till I want no more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Open now the crystal fountain,<br \/>     whence the healing stream doth flow;<br \/> let the fire and cloudy pillar<br \/>     lead me all my journey through.<br \/> Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,<br \/>     be thou still my strength and shield,<br \/>     be thou still my strength and shield.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>When I tread the verge of Jordan,<br \/>     bid my anxious fears subside;<br \/> death of death, and hell&#8217;s destruction,<br \/>     land me safe on Canaan&#8217;s side:<br \/> songs of praises, songs of praises<br \/>     I will ever give to thee,<br \/>     I will ever give to thee.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>BLESSING<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,<br \/>\nand may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless<br \/>\nuntil our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.<br \/>\n\u20141 Thessalonians 5:23<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/meetagainredux.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>God be with you till we meet again;<br \/> loving counsels guide, uphold you,<br \/> with a shepherd\u2019s care enfold you;<br \/> God be with you till we meet again.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-9-1024x656.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1401\"\/><figcaption>Unknown artist, The Transfiguration from Cottage Pictures from the New Testament, 1856, TimeLife Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Dave, Victoria, and Heather! PRELUDE: \u201cOur Father in Heaven\u201d (Nixon) &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/13\/transfiguration-sunday\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Transfiguration Sunday<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1392"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1392\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}